Water disinfection by persulfate activation using a nitrogen-doped reduced graphene oxide-PVDF membrane

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2023-04

Authors

Joaquín A. Marrero (Author) FEUP; Rui S. Ribeiro (Author) FEUP; Sara Ribeirinho-Soares (Author) FEUP; Marta Pedrosa (Author) FEUP; Adrián M.T. Silva (Author) FEUP; Olga C. Nunes (Author) FEUP

Journal

Title: Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering

Vol. 11

ISSN: 2213-3437

Publisher: Elsevier

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 1 Citation

Scopus - 1 Citation

Associated Projects

Healthy Waters - Healthy Waters - Identification, Elimination, Social Awareness and Education of Water Chemical and Biological Micropollutants with Health and Environmental Implications

ALiCE - ALiCE - Laboratório Associado em Engenharia Química

LEPABE - Financiamento Plurianual 2020-2023 da Unidade de I&D LEPABE - Laboratório de Engenharia de Processos, Ambiente, Biotecnologia e Energia

LA LSRE-LCM - Financiamento Plurianual 2020-2023 para a Unidade LA LSRE-LCM Laboratório de Processos de Separação e Reacção - Laboratório de Catálise e Materiais

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-00Y-7TN

DOI: 10.1016/j.jece.2023.109839

Abstract (EN): This work demonstrates the suitability of employing carbon-based catalytic membranes for persulfate activation and water disinfection in continuous flow mode of operation for the first time. Poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) membranes with and without nitrogen-doped reduced graphene oxide (rGO-M) were prepared and tested. The cumulative effect of each membrane component was assessed based on the persulfate activation capacity and the retention and/or elimination of faecal contamination indicator microorganisms in a defined suspension of Escherichia coli and Enterococcus faecalis. In the absence of persulfate, the pristine PVDF membrane enabled retention of 1.98 & PLUSMN; 0.51 log, while the rGO-M-PVDF membrane removed 3.71 & PLUSMN; 0.66 log of the initial microbial abundance (3.87 & PLUSMN; 0.01 log) after 6 h of operation. The catalytic features of the rGO-M-PVDF membrane were then demonstrated by adding a persulfate precursor to the feed suspension. This treatment system was able to reduce the abundance of cultivable microorganisms (total heterotrophs, enterobacteria, enterococci) of the defined suspensions and river water samples to values below the limit of detection (< 0.5 CFU mL-1) up to 24 h operation. In addition, the reactivation capacity of the cultivable microorganisms and representative specific genes (16S rRNA, intl1, blaTEM and sul1) after 7-day storage of the treated river water was studied. Among the parameters analysed, only total cultivable heterotrophic cells were able to regrow to values similar to those found in the feed. Therefore, the proposed system can be considered as a promising technology for the removal of harmful microbiota during drinking water production in continuous flow mode.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 9